Cant be aresd to read through all the posts n what to no how this makes leighs super league ambition over? Is there a rule somewhere saying if you join forces n take DR players you cant be in SL in the future?

quite so,. However, there IS a rule that says whatever the RFL/SL do, it is wrong/ a sell-out/a shambles/treachery/ yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-

Clearly one has to recognise that this is a discussion forum, that people are perfectly entitled to hold the views they do, but to deserve respect, they have to have some substance beyond mere chip-on-the-shoulder bigotry and a yearning for the golden but imaginary days of huge crowds, contested scrums, 5 meter lines, unlimited tackles and P &R.

Cant be aresd to read through all the posts n what to no how this makes leighs super league ambition over? Is there a rule somewhere saying if you join forces n take DR players you cant be in SL in the future?

I don't think there is an official rule, but whats the common theme between alot of the link ups?

They're all fairly close to eachother. They're essentially accepting that they are not going to be able to grow because the SL clubs are stealing their best players and fans. Then you've got Workington and Whitehaven. Workington are barely using the system and the way they're using it is fair. They've had declan hulme play on the wing which is beneficial for everyone as he is developing as a player. Whitehaven I think realise they are the weakest out of the three Cumbrian sides and just jumped at the opportunity to take Saints fringe players as it will help them stay up.

Then you've got the four sides left. Halifax, Featherstone, Sheffield and Barrow. Halifax seem to be persistent that they can carry on along with the SL clubs surrounding them, maybe they're hoping for the two tier SL and therefore staying indepedant, who knows but good luck to them. Featherstone similar to Halifax although it appears that Featherstone are doing better than them with the increasing crowds and the club seeming to get some decent investment. Then you've got Sheffield and Barrow. Sheffield isn't a million miles from Huddersfield (27 miles) so although they can be prone to them trying to steal fans and players they are in a massive city so have the potential to be an SL club which has been discussed on here many a time. Then there is Barrow which is a 35 mile culdesac. Nobody is going to be able to steal our fans at an alarming rate, we own our own ground have an ameteur set up behind us so there isn't any real need to go in a link up. No SL club is a threat to us, fair enough SL clubs scout our young players and get them signed up before we do but we arn't Hunslet who have Leeds wiping everything up in their area.

So maybe the people at Leigh have realised that we have an aging fan base, and arn't getting many young people in as they'd prefer to go watch Wigan. Which is a sad reality, but it's one they're having to face.

They're all fairly close to eachother. They're essentially accepting that they are not going to be able to grow because the SL clubs are stealing their best players and fans. Then you've got Workington and Whitehaven. Workington are barely using the system and the way they're using it is fair. They've had declan hulme play on the wing which is beneficial for everyone as he is developing as a player. Whitehaven I think realise they are the weakest out of the three Cumbrian sides and just jumped at the opportunity to take Saints fringe players as it will help them stay up.

Then you've got the four sides left. Halifax, Featherstone, Sheffield and Barrow. Halifax seem to be persistent that they can carry on along with the SL clubs surrounding them, maybe they're hoping for the two tier SL and therefore staying indepedant, who knows but good luck to them. Featherstone similar to Halifax although it appears that Featherstone are doing better than them with the increasing crowds and the club seeming to get some decent investment. Then you've got Sheffield and Barrow. Sheffield isn't a million miles from Huddersfield (27 miles) so although they can be prone to them trying to steal fans and players they are in a massive city so have the potential to be an SL club which has been discussed on here many a time. Then there is Barrow which is a 35 mile culdesac. Nobody is going to be able to steal our fans at an alarming rate, we own our own ground have an ameteur set up behind us so there isn't any real need to go in a link up. No SL club is a threat to us, fair enough SL clubs scout our young players and get them signed up before we do but we arn't Hunslet who have Leeds wiping everything up in their area.

So maybe the people at Leigh have realised that we have an aging fan base, and arn't getting many young people in as they'd prefer to go watch Wigan. Which is a sad reality, but it's one they're having to face.

Hardly any young people from Leigh watch Wigan. They never will either. They'll just drift off to being tv fans of Man U or Liverpool

Hardly any young people from Leigh watch Wigan. They never will either. They'll just drift off to being tv fans of Man U or Liverpool

Well either way they arn't going to watch Leigh. If the youngsters in Leigh are going to take up an RL club they'll likely take the 4 miles journey to Wigan. I find the phrase 'the young people of Leigh will not go watch Wigan' very hard to believe, when Wigan will likely identify them potentially as a part of their fan base.

Cant be aresd to read through all the posts n what to no how this makes leighs super league ambition over? Is there a rule somewhere saying if you join forces n take DR players you cant be in SL in the future?

I nearly couldn't be arsed to reply but taking DR players is a wage bill cutting excersise, it cuts your own playing staff, it puts your fans off and all told it's a good indicator a club is skint, can't afford championship players and is prepared to see fans walk away just to survive.

Is there a rule in the licensing criteria that says if you don't have your own players, your losing fans and have no money you CAN be in Superleague?

Hardly any young people from Leigh watch Wigan. They never will either. They'll just drift off to being tv fans of Man U or Liverpool

No don't start that nonsense please, you've put some great points down so far, but this idea that if championship clubs go the places they operate from will therefore become RL wastelands doesn't wash at all. South and West Leeds are as vibrant as they've ever been.

Well either way they arn't going to watch Leigh. If the youngsters in Leigh are going to take up an RL club they'll likely take the 4 miles journey to Wigan. I find the phrase 'the young people of Leigh will not go watch Wigan' very hard to believe, when Wigan will likely identify them potentially as a part of their fan base.

1. Very astute, but Maurice Lyndsay knew this and asked them all to pool resources, fans, players, sponsors, assets. They all said no so they all have had to compete for their share, Padge's "fight to the death" only it isn't to the death. It's until the local CC club gives up and agrees to be the "A" team of the SL neighbour. The process is 17 years on and counting.

2. Too many are still wishful thinking here with stuff like "we can sign up for DR until we're ready for Superleague".

3. The fight around the Calder area is hotting up and is fascinating. One clubs now getting the advantage over the other on Humberside that's still to sort.

4. For Barrow there's nobody to touch you, but your geographical position may end up not helping you. Shame there isn't a motorway link up to West Cumbria.....

1. Agree, they wanted mergers but they didn't get them so now have the closest thing to them.

2. Don't see how you can build up a fan base under DR. I went to Hunslet away first game of the season and they were advertising Leeds games there. It may cut a few costs but to get to SL you have to build up fans and get the income in. DR isn't going to help the fan base build.

3. I agree I'm looking forward to see how it pans out as years go ahead. Fev seem to be definite on what the RFL is wanting to happen. Will it continue? I think we'll find out after what happens if Fev get a no from the RFL or if they get accepted.

4. Again I agree. 60k in Barrow, 20k in surrounding areas within a 15 minutes drive. That's 80k. 37 miles in a straight line from Workington/Whitehaven to Barrow. If we could have a 30 mile motorway network connecting them that would make the journey 30 - 40 minutes which would potentially make the catchment area 120k which is good enough for a Cumbria SL club. Unfortunately we don't have one. So would Barrow have enough to get enough fans in from 80k to sustain and SL club when the majority are working class. I really don't know.

But we've got enough to survive in the Championship which will do for me.

Interesting thoughts on Gillette Soccer Saturday today. Kevin Kilbane a pundit on the show suggested that Rochdale, Oldham and Bury all turn into Feeder clubs for the likes of Manchester Utd and City as they are struggling financially. Interesting thoughts really, you can make what you want of them.

Leigh have not surrendered to Wigan. I can see you salivating in your parlour with your Whinos top on.

Oh I see it's shoot the messenger time again.

Grow up for goodness sake.

Your chairman has no money, the fanbase is both ageing and dropping, maybe sponsorship is dropping too as Marauder suggests, and your talking about ripping up the DR deal once your "ready for Superleague".

The fans are having to start dipping in their pockets, that's what happens when your facing a battle for survival when nobody wants to invest in you any more, Stephen Ball asked us all to put monthly donations into Hunslet, he said if you want the club to survive you have to pay for it.

The next step is the fans having to run the club like they did at Bramley, Rochdale, Hunslet, York etc.

Then the next step is go cap in hand to an SL club for players.

Your chairman was astute enough to just go straight there.

It's a shame you had to go all childish, we were having a decent debate.......

Don't see how you can build up a fan base under DR. I went to Hunslet away first game of the season and they were advertising Leeds games there. It may cut a few costs but to get to SL you have to build up fans.

Well BRK at least you get it unlike Lobby.

To surrender your independence to "cut a few costs" (believe me this is not "cutting a few costs" it is cutting the major cost any pro club has, the one that always threatens to kill the business - players wages) is indicative that what is on the clubs mind is preventing the club closing.

To upset all your fans and sponsors in this way is indicative not that they "don't matter" but that they are too few in number and wealth to save the club. As Ball said to the 150 of us - if you want the club to survive you have to pay for it, nobody else will.

IIRC we had one sponsor left who was in two minds. Ball made it clear Leeds would help but not put any cash in.

This is where refusing mergers has led. I'm not saying that because I believe clubs must merge, it's because as Padge says, once you decide to fight your local rival to be top dog, under the system we have now of all the TV money going to the one league, it's a fight to the death.

And again as Blackpool Hawk said it was take the DR deal or close. As It was I preferred to close.

To get to SL you need to build up your fan base as you say. To ignore your fan base is a clear signal SL ambitions are dead.

Well im from York n I would rather watch a York side with 8 hull fc players in it competing with the better teams in the league than a York team gettin tonked every week so dont see how it decreases fan base.

Its ok for the likes of fev who can win all there games without help from DR players n thats great full respect to them but not every team has the money to do that.

Can these links with SL clubs be stopped at any moment or are they bound by contracts for a certain amount of time?

not so much explaining Jon, as coping with, 1974 and all that, and you just know that for every gracious Wiganer, there'll be 2 ungracious ones. Although, I have to say, so far it's been more flack from the other CH club fans than Wiganers. Maybe they're as stunned as we are.